Slush and Sleet of Snow

Snow that partially melts upon reaching the ground, to the point that it accumulates in puddles of partially frozen water, is slush, whereas sleet is snow falling mixed with rain, that is, rain containing snow. Slush is slurry, mixture of liquid and solid forms of water. A slushy layer of snow also results when rain or meltwater percolates downward from the snow surface but cannot penetrate an icy layer or the ground surface beneath. Because of its low binding strength, slush that forms in hilly terrain, can sometimes pose a hazard by releasing wet snow avalanches. These avalanches can occur even on very gentle slopes where, though they are unable to gather much speed, the large mass of slush can make avalanches destructive. In the natural environment, slush forms as ice and snowmelts. This often mixes with dirt and other materials, resulting in a gray or muddy brown color. Solid ice or snow often blocks the drainage of liquid water from slushy areas and slush goes through multiple...